For half a century the Centre has been associating its name and that of the city of Turin to the historical and archaeological research, the enhancement of the cultural heritage and the preservation and restoration of the architectural and archaeological resources in several countries within the Mediterranean area – including Italy – and the Near and Middle East.

Starting from the 1960’, the Centre has conducted field researches in Iraq on the sites of Seleucia on the Tigris, Choche-Ctesiphon, in the Tell Yelkhi area when the Diyala dam was built, in the Roman fortress at Kifrin on the Euphrates, at Khirbet Hatara, Hatra, Nimrud, Babylon. In Jordan it has carried out excavations in the Sanctuary of Artemis at Gerasa and the restoration of its propylaeum on the columned alley. In Syria it has surveyed the Palmyra oasis; in Lebanon it has carried out excavations in the Roman forum of Beirut and restored and preserved the monumental remnants under the Lebanese Parliament building. In Tunisia it has drawn up a project concerning an archaeological park in the Carthage area. In Pakistan and Afghanistan it has taken part in the joint missions with IsIAO. In Iran it has surveyed the Kuh-e Khwaja monument at Sistan.

At present, field researches focus on Iran, with the study of the rock reliefs and the excavations in the Izeh region in Khuzistan, Turkmenistan, where the archaeological mission at Parthian Nisa has been active since 1990, and Iraq, with the project of surveys and excavations at Tulul al Baqarat. Moreover, in cooperation with CrISSMA (Centro di Ricerche sul Sistema Sud e il Mediterraneo Allargato) and Università Cattolica di Milano, the Centre is taking part in the excavations at Banhbore, Pakistan.